Genomancer
By Ashleii, Harris, Kit, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw.
Individual rating: PG-13.
So cold... Kit gingerly lowered herself into the hardsuit, leaning heavily on Shaine. She bit her lip and bent as Shaine wordlessly tugged her arm forward. The suit closed around her, and she straightened back up.
"Thanks, Shaine."
"No problem. Just don't forget the seal on your helmet." She stretched, then began checking the systems on her own suit.
Kit moved her arms, then bobbed up and down. Easy enough to move in...it's not anything like a K-suit. I think I might do okay.
"Yeah, that looks okay..." Shaine nodded. "Ready to try walking down to the tube?"
"I think so."
"Okay. Follow me." She left the room, Kit and Priss in tow.
Crimson was waiting for them, helmet in hand, with Mitch beside him. "We have reports of a standard rogue Boomer, medium weapons, unknown class. I'm expecting it to be far worse. Move out, and be careful."
The tube door opened, and Shaine stepped inside. Its walls rotated, revealing another chamber.
Kit took a deep breath and walked into it. "Here goes something..." Mitch followed as soon as the tube had cycled again, and then Priss.
Harris walked into the room, wearing his suit.
"Harris, you up for this one?"
"Yeah, let's go." Both entered the tube, which then filled with blue-white light. Kit gulped, but stood stock-still. The glow grew stronger, then they shot out into the night sky.
"Whhhhhhaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
"What do you think of the view, Kit?" Mitch asked.
"Only way to see the city," Crim said fondly.
"It's okay, Kit!" Shaine called. Hey, wait a minute...is that Harris's backup suit? What the fuck?
"Shut up, you dolt!"
"Who you calling a dolt, you jerk?"
"So where's my barf bag?" Priss said in a dull monotone.
"Boo-boo? Well, bitch, if you think so then kiss it and make it better. If not, shut the fuck up!"
"Freefall, find us our rogue." Crimson cut in.
"I love my job. Really I do."
"Yeah, Freefall, I know what you mean!" Mitch smiled.
"Well...it's not like I regularly go flying over the city..." There was still a slight quaver in Kit's voice.
"It takes some time, but you get used to it."
"If you say so, Crimson!"
"It's one mile away," Shaine reported. "Moving toward us. High weapons level...ADP's already after it."
"That would be it. Activate verniers and descend."
"Excuse me, dolt? As I was saying...if you can't keep the noise level to an absolute minimum while the comms are open...then I shall shut you up myself."
Shaine opened a private link to Kit. "Take him serious on that one...and trust me, you don't want him to shut you up..."
Kit pressed what she thought was the mute control. "Asshole," she muttered.
Harris slid in back of Kit and flew up toward her, slamming his elbow into the back of her suit. She cried out in confusion as she fell several feet, then managed to regain control of the suit and ascend to rejoin the group. "I warned you..."
"Children," Priss sighed, glancing at her radar. Shaine scowled and armed her weapons systems.
Harris pulled up to Kit again. "Next time I make sure it's more than a few feet." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Knock it off, Snakebite." Crimson snapped.
Moments later they landed in the middle of a car-lined street. In the distance was smoke, and sirens blared. Kit fumbled to activate her weapons as she saw the others doing so.
"It's coming this way. Heads up."
Once the Boomer had closed to a distance of two blocks, it opened fire with a Vulcan gun cannibalized from a police helicopter. Priss started to tense, then relaxed herself as she veered to the left, watching the others dodge the gunfire and begin to counterattack.
"Crossfire on it; I'll keep it busy." Crimson said.
The Boomer charged toward Crimson, concentrating its fire on him. Soon it had closed with him and taken him to the ground. Mitch continued firing with his laser; it looked up and returned fire but the volley mostly hit the parked cars beside Mitch.
Harris came in behind the Boomer and slashed at its back with his laser sword; it reared back and roared as Mitch and then Shaine joined in the attack. Priss hovered in the background, holding her fire. She'd been in the back of the group and was still too far away to get in any good shots. Kit likewise held back; afraid of hitting Crimson.
Crimson raised his laser sword and severed the Boomer's arm. He then fired his jets as it staggered to its feet, missing the back of its head as well. "Snake, railgun. Wolv, get your claws ready and go for the core."
Once Crimson was out of the way, Priss allowed her anger to flare to life. Dashing forward, she aimed her laser at the Boomer's midsection and fired. Damn that thing for making me miss my dinner - and wear this piece of crap suit! Stingray would be spinning in his grave if he saw these things... Harris's rails and her lasers hit at the same time; the rails exploded and the Boomer staggered back.
Mitch ripped the core out with one slash, then stood back as the Boomer toppled to the ground. Priss snickered softly. "About damned time!"
Her train of thought was interrupted by a sudden rain of laser fire from above. Five forms stood atop a building on one side of the street, cloaked by shadows. Shaine and Harris immediately cloaked and began firing as they fell back; the others cloaked as well.
"Shit...thought this was too easy!" Shaine very narrowly resisted the urge to sass him back, instead checking to make sure Kit had figured out how to use her cloaking device.
"Priss, Snake, prepare to ascend. We'll take them from the rooftops." Priss's lips twisted into a wry smile as she hit her jet verniers. I hope this clunker at least has a sword on it...ah, yes, there it is. Though her usual Knight Saber suit didn't have one, she was glad for it at the moment.
And she was even gladder when she saw what was waiting for her on the rooftop. They looked somewhat human, but were covered in black scales and frills. Each also had a tail and glowing, supernatural eyes to complete the lizardman image.
Crimson and Mitch reached the rooftop as Harris fired upon the creatures without hesitation. They proved to be swift and agile, easily dodging his shots. "Damn!" He armed his sniper rifle, taking aim again. He hit that time, and one of the lizard-creatures jerked back and fell to the ground. Shaine and Kit continued firing from the ground.
"What the...?" Shaine gasped. "I'm not getting any readings at all from up there!"
Crimson ignored that; advancing on one of the lizards. "Hand to hand. Get in close; keep them from moving too far."
Shaine held her fire and watched helplessly as the lizards charged the other Ravens. Kit followed her lead, simply staring at the remaining monsters.
"Damn it to hell!" Sylia, I am going to kill you for dragging me into this...making me wear this stupid fucking suit! Priss let her rage consume her, firing again and again at another lizard. They had taken a fighting stance, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Crimson draw a pair of laser swords.
Mitch lashed out with his claws after missing one with his laser; impaling the lizardman. It retreated, placing its hand over the wound, and began firing with its own weapons. Mitch rushed forward again and beheaded it, turning just in time to see another spit some sort of green goo at Priss.
It missed, though not by much, and burned away the roof where it hit. Another lizard ran off with the severed head of Mitch's opponent, and Harris finished off yet another of the creatures with his laser.
Priss grunted with exertion as she slid in toward the last one, narrowly evading another volley of goo. She sliced neatly through its chest, cutting it in two, and stepped back quickly. More goo poured from the body, eating through the roof - which collapsed beneath it, sending the body tumbling down into the building below.
Shaine activated her verniers and flew up to join the others, then watched as the other bodies dissolved into steaming green liquid. "Yummm."
"See anything, Freefall?"
"Nope. No readings at all, Wolv." Mitch walked over to one body and examined it; Priss and Shaine kept their distance. Harris sighed, letting himself relax somewhat, and stepped away as the puddle by his feet began to eat through the roof.
"We fought something, so there should be some kind of reading." Crimson said. "Try a satellite link."
Shaine nodded. "I'm getting lots of ozone...and there's something moving away from here. Can't tell what it is. It's flying...very fast..."
"Call the Wing."
Shaine turned away from the others for a moment, then reported, "The Wing will be here in ten minutes."
"Track that bogie."
She turned away again, focusing on her sensors. Kit shakily pushed off from the ground and landed beside her on the roof, then walked gingerly toward the remains of the lizard creatures, utterly speechless.
"Rai to Freefall."
"Go ahead, Rai."
"I'm five and closing. Tell the boss man."
She re-opened her comms. "Rai'll be here in five."
Crimson walked to the edge of the roof and stared at the city below. "Snakebite..."
"Yes?"
Priss abandoned her position near the far end of the roof, walking toward Crimson and Harris. "What the fuck were those?"
"They weren't Boomers," Crimson replied.
"No shit they weren't Boomers!" Shaine shook her head.
"Mutations of some sort..." Harris mused. "Genetic engineering."
Shaine's head came up. "Rai's headed in."
"M-13 into things like that, Snakebite?"
"I wouldn't know. I was hired help. Sure, I got shit from labs, but if it was for this I couldn't tell you."
Mitch finished scanning the bodies and stood. "The acid is very strong, but dissolves into a harmless water base."
He seemed ready to say more, but a voice over the comms cut him off. "Anyone need a taxi?" The Wing took shape above them.
Crimson looked up and grinned. "Yeah, you're late!"
///
"Listen up. We're going to follow an...unknown craft...that was at the battle scene. When we catch up we may have to board it. If you don't feel up to that risk, I need to know now."
"Um, Boss," Rai's voice came from the cockpit, "I don't think we need to worry. It found us..."
"What?" An explosion shook the Wing.
Rai swore explosively. Priss quickly grabbed the back of the chair in front of hers. "What the...?"
"Can't this thing fight back?" Kit gasped.
"Yes. Freefall, targeting. Harris and Mitch, guns. Everyone else hang tight."
The three of them rushed to their stations; moments later there was a flash and a shutter...followed by another flash and a shutter... "We got 'em! They're going down!"
"Follow it! Prepare to go to ground."
Shaine closed her eyes and sat back. Shit! I hope I'm not going to have to earn my name again...
The landing was smooth, however, and the back door of the Wing opened up onto a parking lot across from a Walmart. The front doors of the store had been smashed in and a strange silver vehicle was half-buried in its ruins.
"It's true," Rai said. "You can find anything at Walmart."
Shaine nodded, then drawled, "We got ourselves a real live dead alien."
"Does that mean I'm Mulder, Scully?"
"NO!"
"Damn."
Priss glanced sharply at Shaine, then went back to staring at the ruins.
"And where did you hear about that?"
Rai smiled sweetly. "A little bird told me..."
"Find the cockpit," Crimson ordered. Shaine shook her head and began scanning the wreckage.
Smoke billowed from a door opening at the back of the aircraft. The Ravens brought their weapons to bear on it as a form fell through the opening.
Harris and Priss walked toward the humanlike shape as it shakily got to its knees. There was a large burn hole on its back, and it was more slender than the lizards, with a thicker hide.
"I'm getting lifesigns..." Shaine said.
Harris kicked at its head...which promptly fell off and went flying across the ground.
"...Or maybe not...?" she finished feebly.
Another head, this one with long, catlike ears, was visible where the first had been. Mitch picked up the first head, which appeared to be a helmet. He tossed it in the air once. This thing is awfully light!
"Put it in the plane."
Harris lifted the cat, which was female and about the size of a small child. It had a muzzle and whiskers...
Kit gawped. "Holy..."
"Awww," Priss crooned sardonically. "Looks like we found somebody's pet...?"
"In that case, I'd hate to see its master." Crimson frowned. "We'll take it back to the base."
"Want to kill it first?"
"No. It may hold a clue to the others. Shaine, get me a line to the Nest." Harris sighed and made his way back to the Wing. "Strap it down tight, Snake, and don't take your guns off of it."
"Ready, Boss."
Crimson nodded. "Hugo, we need a heavy carrier out here. ...Yes, a UFO... Now."
"What's happening, Crim?"
"Not sure, Wolv. At this point, I think the universe just played us for fools." Crimson stood at the Wing's door, but did not go in. "Rai, take them back to base. I'm going to wait for Hugo and the carrier."
"Roger. I'll leave a Motoslave." Rai opened a rear compartment and rolled it out, then went back to the cockpit.
"Okay, Birds, we are out of here!"
///
Priss stood and took off her helmet, sighing at bit at the lizardman stink still on all of them. She walked out of the Wing as Harris unstrapped and picked up the cat.
"I'll be at the dartboard if you need me," Mitch said, and left. The others followed suit.
A few minutes later, Belladonna walked into the women's changing room. "Heyyy! What happened out there?"
"You loudmouth!"
She looked at Shaine as if she had been slapped. "What?"
"What did you tell Rai about...well... About everything!"
"Hell, no! I didn't tell Rai anything; he owes me money!" Shaine shook her head. "I swear I didn't tell him a thing...oh, but what was it I told him?"
Priss shook her head and walked out of the locker room. The perfect dysfunctional team.